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Forum Discussion
Couldn't start Dropbox permissions error
Hi,
My dropbox app won't open at all anymore. I get a Couldn't Open Dropbox message saying it's usually a permissions error. I've been through my shared folders on the webpage and checked and r...
Hi again Andy Coda,
The dummy file you have created seems Ok. That proves the issue is not in your default settings. It appears exactly as has to be. The commands you have executed, as listed, can't be a reason for the issue observed. Still not clear what could be the reason, but let's try fix it by hands. At the beginning what shows the list of troublesome folder? Post the result of:
ls -al /Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Frameworks/DropboxCrashpad.framework/Versions/A
Next try fix the problem using following commands:
sudo chown -R "$USER" /Applications/Dropbox.app
chmod -R a+r /Applications/Dropbox.app
chmod -R u+w /Applications/Dropbox.app
chmod -R go-w /Applications/Dropbox.appExecute the first (ls) command again. Is something changed? 🧐
Hope this helps.
Andy Coda wrote:
..., I've followed a series of terminal scripts from the FAQ section but it did nothing. ...
Hi Andy Coda,
As mentioned in the error message (on the bottom), you have given strange write permission on some places. In the same context, what are the "series of terminal scripts" you have tried? To be clearer, share a link to them and/or post exact steps you have done (list the commands used). Just for one more example: every local user have write access to your Dropbox folder, but can't read or comes in there. 🤷 I can't see any meaning to be so. It byself isn't a reason Dropbox to stop work, but could be a "symptom".
Have you tried reinstall the application? Dropbox application folders recreation (during reinstall) might fix the permissions automatically. 😉 Try it, if haven't yet!
If still no any luck (including error log, you have posted, doesn't change in any way), let's see how your system create a file by default. Just create a dummy file, list it, and finally remove it using following commands:
echo "Hello world" > ~/hello_world.txt ls -l ~/hello_world.txt rm ~/hello_world.txt
Execute the commands one by one and post the result of the "ls" command (the second one). Let's see if some setting gets mess and those permissions are set by default. 🧐
Good luck.
Hi,
I am unable to uninstall the Dropbox app - it says extensions are in use. That was my initial thought: to re-install - the old On-Off is normally the one! Odd as I'm unaware of giving any permissions recently, it functioned fine last night and not today.
The commands I tried were these:
- Click the Dropbox icon on the menu bar.
- Click your profile picture or initials, and select Quit Dropbox.
- Open the Terminal app (at /Applications/Utilities/Terminal).
- Copy and paste the following lines one at a time into Terminal. Press Enter after each one.
- You'll be prompted for your computer password (not your Dropbox password) after entering the first command. The password field in Terminal remains blank as you type your password. After you type it, press return.
- Important: We assume that your Dropbox folder is in the default pathway. If you placed your Dropbox folder in a custom location, replace all ~/Dropbox for the full location of your Dropbox folder. For example, if you have your Dropbox folder in the path /Volumes/DifferentPlace/Dropbox, you need to replace ~/Dropbox from the following instructions to /Volumes/DifferentPlace/Dropbox.
- Once the Terminal prompt shows up again, the instruction completed the requested task and is ready for the next command. If any of the commands return an error or do not respond after an hour, try restarting your computer and repeating these steps.
sudo chflags -R nouchg ~/Dropbox ~/.dropbox ~/.dropbox-master sudo chown "$USER" "$HOME" sudo chown -R "$USER" ~/Dropbox ~/.dropbox sudo chmod -RN ~/.dropbox ~/Dropbox chmod -R u+rw ~/Dropbox ~/.dropbox
- Restart Dropbox by double-clicking the Dropbox icon in your Applications folder.
The link is: https://help.dropbox.com/installs-integrations/sync-uploads/stuck-syncing
I'll try the dummy file thing now (I presume you mean a file anywhere, as in just a .txt file on my system, not in Dropbox? Apologies, I'm not the most computer literate!)
Thanks again!
Hi Здравко
So, I did the commands as listed for the dummy list, hope I understood correctly, and this is the result of the ls command:
-rw-r--r-- 1 andrewmackay staff 12 20 Mar 15:13 /Users/andrewmackay/hello_world.txt
The file did appear as a txt file in that location so.
rgds
Andy
Hi again Andy Coda,
The dummy file you have created seems Ok. That proves the issue is not in your default settings. It appears exactly as has to be. The commands you have executed, as listed, can't be a reason for the issue observed. Still not clear what could be the reason, but let's try fix it by hands. At the beginning what shows the list of troublesome folder? Post the result of:
ls -al /Applications/Dropbox.app/Contents/Frameworks/DropboxCrashpad.framework/Versions/A
Next try fix the problem using following commands:
sudo chown -R "$USER" /Applications/Dropbox.app
chmod -R a+r /Applications/Dropbox.app
chmod -R u+w /Applications/Dropbox.app
chmod -R go-w /Applications/Dropbox.appExecute the first (ls) command again. Is something changed? 🧐
Hope this helps.
I'm having the same issue. Except that I just used the Migration Assistant on my new laptop from a Time Machine backup. I found this other info, but it didn't work for me. So now I'm lost.
